President Obama gets tested almost daily. Most of these tests he fails so utterly and completely that even a grade of zero is too high of a score. Every now and again he does however barely pass some tests put before him but it is with what could best be deserving of a D and nothing better. Those are just the facts. It is hard for someone that does not understand the very basics of economics and believes in command and control economies to do any better because the answers that are given to the tests are always answers that have been proven time and again not to work. Now there is another test looming for the President and it is coming from his fellow traveler down in Venezuela; Hugo Chavez.

Hugo Chavez is about three steps further down the road when it comes to implementing modern liberal policies than the current administration and Congress in Washington. But do not worry, those who currently sit in the seats of power on the Potomac are frantically trying to catch up. Which is why, with Hugo Chavez asking his National Assembly for approval to seize eleven idled drilling rigs owned by Helmerich & Payne Inc. this will be the potential next test which President Obama will fail.

Helmerich & Payne Inc., a Tulsa based oil services company, has been stuck in contract disputes with the communist dictatorship. They shut down the rigs last year when contracts ran out. At least in public H&P is putting on a startled face that Uncle Hugo would be pushing to nationalize their property. Hopefully in private they are smart enough to not be at all surprised by this considering his track record of similar actions.

If Hugo Chavez gets the permission he has asked for, and being the tyrant that he is the odds are high that he will or some troublemakers will be made to quickly disappear, the test begins. Will President Obama allow a foreign country to seize assets owned by a United States company and U.S. citizens? Odds are yes because so far President Obama has not shown any willingness to confront tyrants. And he will fail yet another test in all likelihood.

Now if we had a real President, one who had even a modicum of respect for America and the rule of law, the first thing that would have been done upon this announcement would have been to mobilize the United States Navy and get at least a battle group headed towards these rigs. After all the role of the United States government is to protect American citizens and their properties from being unjustly infringed. The rigs belong to H&P therefore an attempt by Venezuela to take them would be a violation of basic and unalienable rights. Steeling is, after all, wrong. Chavez’s simple threat to seize the property of U.S. Corporations is a borderline act of war. Should he actually move to seize these assets there would be nothing borderline about it at that point.

Chavez is free to oppress his own people but the second that oppression moves to legal U.S. entities and our citizens he has violated our sovereignty. And he must be held accountable if there is any respect for such things any more by those in Washington.

But we must remember who we have in the White House. We have a man that has little respect for the actual roles of our government while promoting any and all fictitious roles he and his Comrades in Congress can dream up. We have a man who thinks that it is just a simply great idea to meddle with industries and even nationalize them in whole or in part as he gauges the American people will allow him to without lighting up the torches and grabbing their pitchforks. We have a man who has stated that he is uncomfortable with the term victory. We have a man who has smiled in the presence of terrorists, bowed to kings and emperors and who has shunned allies. Heck he even graciously accepted a copy of Hugo Chavez’s own anti-American book when the two met. A book mind you that no one would read without a loaded gun pointed to their head.

Uncle Hugo senses a weak American President residing in the White House. So he really does not fear any sort of action like I mentioned above coming his direction. All citizens should cringe at this prospect. Because when our President fails to fight for the inalienable rights of our citizens, well, you might as well just kiss your liberties good bye.